The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family - Annette Gordon-Reed

The Hemingeses of Monticello; An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed is one of the most fascinating books I've read in a very long time. Gordon-Reed goes into incredible detail about this large family and if you're not in a hurry that's all the more reason to love it. I learned so many interesting facts about Jefferson and the norms of the late 1700s, Jefferson's time in Paris, his destructive appetite for acquiring things, and how he became one of the largest slave owners in Virginia in his time. While much of the book is dedicated to Sally Hemings, this book is about the entire Hemings family and includes many rather fascinating stories. The Jefferson and the Hemings’ families were very much intertwined and you really come to know these people who all lived at Monticello for generations until Jefferson's death. I think Annette Gordon-Reed has written a true masterpiece.

The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family By Annette Gordon-Reed Cover Image
$21.95
ISBN: 9780393337761
Availability: In Stock—Click for Locations
Published: W. W. Norton & Company - September 8th, 2009